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Getting to Know Your Chaldean-American Neighbors (PDF) Descendants of the Ancient Religious Beliefs Babylonians and Assyrians THE CHALDEAN RITE is one of the major official rites of the THE CHALDEANS HAVE COME TO AMERICA for job Catholic Church. opportunities and a better life. • St. Thomas (the Apostle) brought Christianity to Mesopotamia, • as a religious and cultural minority in Iraq home of the Chaldeans, with his disciples Addai and Mari. • most followed family members to U.S., joining them in • from 5th century to 16th century the majority of Christians of established businesses, later forming their own Mesopotamia adopted Nestorian beliefs; “Golden Era” around 11th century. IMMIGRATION BEGAN in the early 1900’s due to harsh • After a great missionary expansion, Eastern Christianity, due treatment by the Ottoman Turkish rulers to continuing severe persecution from Mongolians, was re- • First known immigrant: Zia Attallah (1889) came to Philadel- duced to the land of its missionary basis: Mesopotamia. phia, worked in hotel. Later, returned to Iraq, where he opened • When reunited with Roman Catholic Church they resumed the his own hotel. original name of their forefathers: “Chaldean” • the first Chaldeans came from villages in Iraq • leader is called “The Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans”; • most Chaldeans immigrated to Detroit; by 1923 there were he resides now in Baghdad about 10 Chaldean adults in Detroit • 1960-70’s produced largest wave of Chaldean immigrants as U.S. immigration laws became less strict • these later immigrants came mostly from Baghdad and Basra. Language and Culture Many were highly educated, establishing professional busi- nesses in this country. CHALDEAN LANGUAGE is the major dialect of ARAMAIC • the same language used in ancient Babylon CHALDEANS IN AMERICA number over 75,000 IRAQ IS LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE EAST and is divided • the same language used by Jesus Christ; it was the official • 60,000 in Detroit area into four geographical regions: language of most of the Middle East at that time • 15,000 in San Diego and other California cities • desert in west and southwest, adjacent to Syrian desert • It has a classic form used in Church liturgies and a vernacular • 2,000 in Chicago • rolling uplands between rivers; dry soil used by the majority of Chaldeans in their homeland Iraq, as • highlands north and northwest well as in the U.S.A. CHALDEANS IN MICHIGAN (approx. 80,000) came to Detroit • central and southeastern plain between rivers • The Chaldeans born in Iraq know also the Arabic language; • initially from Windsor, Ontario and from Mexico, where • The classic name of Iraq is Mesopotamia, “Land between Two some might use, along with their mother tongue (Chaldean), immigration laws were less strict; later they came directly Rivers”. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers flow through the the Arabic language in their dealings from the Old Country entire length of Iraq from northwest to southeast, and into the • 95 percent speak Chaldean language in their homes, 58 • for automobile industry employment Persian Gulf. percent speak Arabic language and 9 percent speak English. • to join their families in businesses • many stayed in the City of Detroit to serve neighborhoods in POPULATION: CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS: the grocery/produce business • Iraq’s population (2002): approx. 22 million, which 1 million • individual to sacrifice for the group • first grocery store opened in 1938 are of Chaldean heritage. • very generous, most hospitable • later moved to suburbs • cheerful, expressive IRAQ IS BORDERED BY: Iran, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Saudi • extended families; care for all members; close family ties CHALDEANS IN STERLING HEIGHTS: Approximately Arabia, Kuwait and the Persian Gulf • extremely hard-working 450-500 Chaldean families reside in Sterling Heights. • TELKEPPE AND OTHER CHALDEAN VILLAGES are in • kindness to strangers, readily forming close friendships northwest near Mosul, very near ancient Nineveh • when mourning death of husband, women wear black for at • bordered on north by mountains and Kurdish villages least a year, perhaps many years. Most do not remarry. Physical Characteristics of • marriages are life-long commitments; divorces rare Chaldean Villages and of Iraq CLIMATE: • dating restricted for girls until marriageable age • most of Iraq has a continental climate with extremes of heat • religious; high moral values THE MAJORITY OF CHALDEAN-AMERICANS have come and cold • respect for elders, traditions, customs from small northern Iraq villages populated primarily by Chaldeans • 90% of annual rainfall November through April • principal village is Telkeppe, formerly an Assyrian fortress; • winters: average temperature about 50° F. CHALDEAN CHURCH HOLIDAYS CELEBRATED: “Telkeppe” means “Hill of Stones” in Aramaic. The hill is the • summers characterized by two kinds of winds: • Easter is the major holiday remnant of the ancient fortress. • “sharqi”: April to June; again September to November - • Christmas • is called “Telkaif” in Arabic: “Hill of the Good Life” dry, dusty gusts with frequent violent dust-storms from • St. Joseph’s Feast Day: the last Sunday before Christmas • soil good for farming; each family owns plot outside of village south and southeast • “The Rogations of Nineveh”: a unique Chaldean church to farm • “shamal”: mid-June through mid-September - steady winds memorial, celebrated by three days of fasting (Mon.-Wed.) from north and northwest bring dry air, heat from midnight until mid-day, 3 weeks before Lent • summer temperatures range from 87° to 99° F. Baghdad’s average summer temperature is approximately 94° F. The Hero and the City Modern History PRESENT-DAY IRAQ IS HOME to these descendants of NEBUCHADNEZZAR II, KING OF BABYLON — a king ancient Assyrian and Chaldean peoples. Their villages in the Getting to know your... and a city known world-wide today as perhaps the most glorious north are the remnant of their glorious past. of ancient times: • 1917: British, with help of Indian troops, ended Ottoman rule • at Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 B.C.) built a vast city in Iraq; British and French divided Middle East lands and with walls upon which four chariots could drive abreast drew borders for Middle Eastern peoples. • for himself, Nebuchadnezzar built a palace, on top of which • 1921: King Faisal; 1933: King Ghazi; 1952: King Faisal II were the famous “Hanging Gardens”, one of the Seven Won- • 1932: Iraq joined League of Nations as independent state ders of the Ancient World • 1958: Iraq became a republic Chaldean - • The Babylonian empire included Mesopotamia, Syria, Pales- • until 1920’s Chaldeans remained in villages; most farmed tine and even Egypt • 1930-40: Most Chaldeans moved to Iraqi cities, became • Nebuchadnezzar was a conqueror and a builder; from doctors, attorneys, engineers and businessmen conquered nations he brought nobles and craftsmen; • Iran-Iraq war in 1980 American Babylon was a magnificent treasure of rose-colored walls, • Persian Gulf war in 1991 wide, processional streets, blue glazed bricks adorned with red lions, dragons and wild bulls, terraces for irrigated gar- Neighbors dens, canals, caves for cold storage, lakes and reservoirs Famous Chaldeans CHALDEANS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO CIVILIZATION: • Hammurabi: 18th century B.C. king; wrote advanced code of Ancient History social and business laws, “The Code of Hammurabi” • Nebuchadnezzar: King of the “Brilliant Dynasty” “THE CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION” was Mesopotamia, • According to ancient tradition, the magi who visited the child home of the ancient Chaldeans, those forefathers of the Jesus after his birth were from among the Chaldeans modern Chaldean people. Mesopotamia means “The Land between the Rivers.” CHALDEAN NAMES IN AMERICAN SOCIETY: • 3000 B.C.: Sumerian civilization; first true civilization: homes, • Fr. Thomas Bidawid, first Chaldean-rite pastor in Detroit (Feb cities, agriculture, domesticated animals; arts, crafts 23, 1947) • THE FIRST WHEEL USED HERE • men instrumental in bringing Chaldean-rite church to Detroit, • 2350 B.C.: Akkadians conquered Sumer. Leader was Sargon. 1945: (They had been using Lebanese Maronite Church): Joe Kingdom from Mesopotamia to Mediterranean Sea. Culture Acho, Sam Dabish, David Kassa, David Kory, Jack Najor and enhanced all of western Asia. Zia Nalo • by 2000 B.C.: trade routes flourised; cities were cultural • Ibrahim N. Ibrahim: First Chaldean Bishop in the U.S.: his centers; then Amorites invaded from N.W., destroyed cities. cathedral is Our Lady of Chaldeans Cathedral, Southfield • 911-612 B.C.: Assyrians ruled north at Nineveh under Sargon • Wadie P. Deddah: California State Senator II, Sennecherib, Esarhaddon, and Ashurbanipal • today many Chaldeans are engaged in professional fields as • IMPORTANT SHIFT IN HISTORY: (612 B.C.) Assyria doctors, lawyers, pharmacists, engineers, and architects who became weak. Chaldea, in south at Babylon, became strong. serve the American public • 605-562 B.C.: “The Brilliant Dynasty” of Chaldeans under • the largest portion of Chaldean-American people to this day Nebuchadnezzar. Peak of Mesopotamian power. are the merchants who serve American communities in gro- • by 600 B.C.: all Syria and Palestine under Babylonian rule cery/produce business • 539 B.C.: Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylonia; Chaldeans roamed the land with Assyrians during this time. • 330 B.C: Alexander the Great, Greek, conquered the east and City Council Sterling Heights Ethnic died in Babylon (323 B.C.) Mayor Richard J. Notte Issues Advisory Committee Mayor Pro-Tem Kathryn George Sharron D.
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